Self-driving, in our opinion is the best way to see the real Africa, or any country for that matter. Tour groups or overlander trucks don’t take the side roads and stick primarily to the more crowded and popular campsites, the ones with a pool and communal cooking and washing facilities.
They do see some great places but they don’t require a 4×4 so they don’t see some of the many little villages scattered along a sand or gravel road. Thatched huts, children and women carrying water or firewood on their heads, goat and cattle herders and the wonderful sight of people getting by in their environment with very little.
Some of these villages have probably been this way forever. Others were more developed and we were happy to see many primary schools dotted throughout. Not many secondary schools though so education for many is probably to a grade 6 level. Education isn’t free so this creates a challenge for many.
We spent most of our time in Zambia so I’ll continue with the narrative as Zambia was the highlight of our trip.
Tomatoes and potatoes seem to be the crop that is sold along the roads in the villages this time of year. Everyone sells tomatoes or potatoes with a sprinkling of onions and corn/maize. Outside of the towns and villages the sides of the roads are dotted with large bundled and wrapped charcoal firewood.
This has been outlawed in Zimbabwe but is still legal in Zambia which unfortunately is adding to the destruction of their forests. This is the primary source of heat and cooking fuel and we honestly don’t know what the people would use otherwise. The country has a long way to go in solving this dilemma.
The cost of living is low in Zambia, expensive in Botswana and quite reasonable in South Africa and the wages reflect this although we found a disconnect in Botswana. The minimum wage in Zambia is 1,500 kwacha/month, about $150 CAD. Food is cheap as is beer and other sinful indulgences which we’re sure someone on minimum wage does not enjoy.
A meal at a restaurant in a small town is about $4 CAD and can easily be shared by two people. 50. The most I paid for a beer was about $3 CAD and this was at the Royal Zambezi Lodge. 40 for a 12 hour shift. He took home after 24 days about $200 CAD!
We met many young people who had dreams of being a doctor or teacher or just wanted the ability to continue their education but the roadblocks (no pun intended) seem insurmountable. The human potential in this small part of a great 55-country-strong continent is incredible but, the government corruption to this day is alive and well and has a stranglehold on the people who want and DESERVE a brighter future.
The land is blessed with fertile soils, minerals and desire. Technology is making its way into the daily lives of the people. Cell phone rates are cheap and there is a whole new cell phone cash transaction industry developing to allow small business and entrepreneurs to sidetrack the bureaucratic red tape that is so embedded into their daily lives. Enough said.
Our truck was fantastic. It handled the deep sand roads/trails beautifully. While in Botswana we met a couple from Britain who lived in Zambia and we told them we were going to Liuwa Plain NP and then on to Kafue NP. First he rightly explained the hassle we would encounter entering Zambia from Botswana via the Kazungula border crossing.
He was 100% correct and he then continued to tell us about the horrors we would encounter in what I thought was Kafue NP. Be prepared for your truck to overheat driving in low gear in the sand. The “deep” sand, Have a contingency plan”.
We actually thought he was talking about Kafue NP because I mentioned the two places in one sentence so we were extremely apprehensive and after leaving the deep sand of Liuwa we arrived in Kafue. It was a walk in the park. I really don’t understand where people get off giving you horror stories about a place.
A simple ” the sand is deep, be prepared” should be all he said. Inside of me I had a deep anxiety about what to expect in Kafue and then it dawned on me he was talking about Liuwa. What a dick!
GPS versus good old maps….
When we last drove through South Africa, Namibia and Botswana we used maps. Actually Google Maps for SA and real live paper maps for Namibia and Botswana. I think we only got lost once in SA. We were told not to rely on GPS as it would probably get you lost and I can attest here and now that “they” were 100% correct.
When you use a map you can see the broader picture, where you are in relation to towns, roads, villages etc. A GPS shows you your spot in time with no relationship to your broader perspective. You trust the GPS and you don’t really know if it is giving you a short-cut, a best road option or what.
It doesn’t know how you want to get to your destination, only what roads it has in its map memory and whether there is a fence or not or whatever. There is a road so therefore it must be traversable.
In cities GPS is generally good but the first day we picked up the truck in Joburg we entered our lodge name and followed the GPS directions. As we neared the general vicinity of our lodge it kept telling us to turn left and we would be at our destination.
It wasn’t our destination so finally we used Google Maps and we found our place immediately. These little instances leave a very huge doubt about their accuracy in the back of your mind. We were never 100% confident in our GPS directions so our advice is to carry maps at all times and be prepared for the inevitable.
Leave plenty of time to reach your next destination because you really don’t want to be driving at night.
Self-driving independently through Africa is a great experience. We promised our granddaughter we would bring her to Africa when she turns 16. That’s 5 years from now but we have a feeling we’ll be back sooner.
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